The first products made in space: Monodisperse latex particles

The preparation of large particle size 3 to 30 micrometer monodisperse latexes in space confirmed that original rationale unequivocally. The flight polymerizations formed negligible amounts of coagulum as compared to increasing amounts for the ground-based polymerizations. The number of offsize large particles in the flight latexes was smaller than in the ground-based latexes. The particle size distribution broadened and more larger offsize particles were formed when the polymerizations of the partially converted STS-4 latexes were completed on Earth. Polymerization in space also showed other unanticipated advantages. The flight latexes had narrower particle size distributions than the ground-based latexes. The particles of the flight latexes were more perfect spheres than those of the ground-based latexes. The superior uniformity of the flight latexes was confirmed by the National Bureau of Standards acceptance of the 10 micrometer STS-6 latex and the 30 micrometer STS-11 latexes as Standard Reference Materials, the first products made in space for sale on Earth. The polymerization rates in space were the same as those on Earth within experimental error. Further development of the ground-based polymerization recipes gave monodisperse particles as large as 100 micrometer with tolerable levels of coagulum, but their uniformity was significantly poorer than the flight latexes. Careful control of the polymerization parameters gave uniform nonspherical particles: symmetrical and asymmetrical doublets, ellipsoids, egg-shaped, ice cream cone-shaped, and popcorn-shaped particles

Flux through a hole from a shaken granular medium

We have measured the flux of grains from a hole in the bottom of a shaken container of grains. We find that the peak velocity of the vibration, vmax, controls the flux, i.e., the flux is nearly independent of the frequency and acceleration amplitude for a given value of vmax. The flux decreases with increasing peak velocity and then becomes almost constant for the largest values of vmax. The data at low peak velocity can be quantitatively described by a simple model, but the crossover to nearly constant flux at larger peak velocity suggests a regime in which the granular density near the container bottom is independent of the energy input to the system.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figures. to appear in Physical Review

Quantum planes and quantum cylinders from Poisson homogeneous spaces

Quantum planes and a new quantum cylinder are obtained as quantization of Poisson homogeneous spaces of two different Poisson structures on classical Euclidean group E(2).Comment: 13 pages, plain Tex, no figure

An Empirical Charge Transfer Potential with Correct Dissociation Limits

The empirical valence bond (EVB) method [J. Chem. Phys. 52, 1262 (1970)] has always embodied charge transfer processes. The mechanism of that behavior is examined here and recast for use as a new empirical potential energy surface for large-scale simulations. A two-state model is explored. The main features of the model are: (1) Explicit decomposition of the total system electron density is invoked; (2) The charge is defined through the density decomposition into constituent contributions; (3) The charge transfer behavior is controlled through the resonance energy matrix elements which cannot be ignored; and (4) A reference-state approach, similar in spirit to the EVB method, is used to define the resonance state energy contributions in terms of "knowable" quantities. With equal validity, the new potential energy can be expressed as a nonthermal ensemble average with a nonlinear but analytical charge dependence in the occupation number. Dissociation to neutral species for a gas-phase process is preserved. A variant of constrained search density functional theory is advocated as the preferred way to define an energy for a given charge.Comment: Submitted to J. Chem. Phys. 11/12/03. 14 pages, 8 figure

Quantized algebras of functions on homogeneous spaces with Poisson stabilizers

Let G be a simply connected semisimple compact Lie group with standard Poisson structure, K a closed Poisson-Lie subgroup, 0<q<1. We study a quantization C(G_q/K_q) of the algebra of continuous functions on G/K. Using results of Soibelman and Dijkhuizen-Stokman we classify the irreducible representations of C(G_q/K_q) and obtain a composition series for C(G_q/K_q). We describe closures of the symplectic leaves of G/K refining the well-known description in the case of flag manifolds in terms of the Bruhat order. We then show that the same rules describe the topology on the spectrum of C(G_q/K_q). Next we show that the family of C*-algebras C(G_q/K_q), 0<q\le1, has a canonical structure of a continuous field of C*-algebras and provides a strict deformation quantization of the Poisson algebra \C[G/K]. Finally, extending a result of Nagy, we show that C(G_q/K_q) is canonically KK-equivalent to C(G/K).Comment: 23 pages; minor changes, typos correcte

An Obstruction to Quantization of the Sphere

In the standard example of strict deformation quantization of the symplectic sphere $S^2$, the set of allowed values of the quantization parameter $\hbar$ is not connected; indeed, it is almost discrete. Li recently constructed a class of examples (including $S^2$) in which $\hbar$ can take any value in an interval, but these examples are badly behaved. Here, I identify a natural additional axiom for strict deformation quantization and prove that it implies that the parameter set for quantizing $S^2$ is never connected.Comment: 23 page. v2: changed sign conventio

Magnetothermopower and Magnetoresistivity of RuSr2Gd1-xLaxCu2O8 (x=0, 0.1)

We report measurements of magnetothermopower and magnetoresistivity as a function of temperature on RuSr2Gd1-xLaxCu2O8 (x = 0, 0.1). The normal-state thermopower shows a dramatic decrease after applying a magnetic field of 5 T, whereas the resistivity shows only a small change after applying the same field. Our results suggest that RuO2 layers are conducting and the magnetic field induced decrease of the overall thermopower is caused by the decrease of partial thermopower decrease associated with the spin entropy decrease of the carriers in the RuO2 layers.Comment: 21 pages, 6 figure

Expanding the simulation of East Asian super dust storms: physical transport mechanisms impacting the western Pacific

Dust models are widely applied over the East Asian region for the simulation of dust emission, transport, and deposition. However, due to the uncertainties in estimates of dust transport, these methods still lack the necessary precision to capture the complexity of transboundary dust events. This study demonstrates an improvement in the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model dust treatment during long-range transport of dust from northwestern China to the South China Sea (SCS). To accomplish this, we considered a super dust storm (SDS) event in March 2010 and evaluated the dust scheme by including adjustments to the recent calibration (Dust_Refined_1) and bulk density (Dust_Refined_2) refinements individually and in combination (Dust_Refined_3). The Dust_Refined_3 normalized mean bias of PM10 was −30.65 % for the 2010 SDS event, which was lower in magnitude compared to Dust_Refined_1 (−41.18 %) and Dust_Refined_2 (−49.88 %). Indeed, Dust_Refined_3 improved the simulated aerosol optical depth (AOD) value during significant dust cases, e.g., in March 2005, March 2006, and April 2009. Dust_Refined_3 also showed more clearly that, in March 2010, a “double plume” (i.e., one plume originating from the Taiwan Strait and the other from the western Pacific) separated by the Central Mountain Range (CMR) of Taiwan affected dust transport on the island of Dongsha in the SCS. On 15–21 April 2021, both CMAQ simulations and satellite data highlighted the influence of Typhoon Surigae on dust transport to downwind Taiwan and the western Pacific Ocean (WPO). The CMAQ Dust_Refined_3 simulations further revealed that many dust aerosols were removed over the WPO due to Typhoon Surigae. Hence, the model indicated a near-zero dust particle concentration over the WPO, which was significantly different from previous dust transport episodes over the Taiwan region. Therefore, our study suggested an effective method to improve dust management of CMAQ under unique topographical and meteorological conditions.</p